York council's leisure budget is about £11 million of which £3 million is spent on sport.

The Barbican, Edmund Wilson and Yearsley facilities absorb £1.53 million and a further £900,000 subsidises the Courtneys watersports site at Monks Cross.

The remaining £500,000 covers the Oaklands site and council overheads with probably less than £100,000 being spent on all other sporting activities.

If there are benefits to be gained for the wider community, is it so important that the Barbican activities remain on their current site at the expense of other sporting interests?

Chris Houseman,

York District Sports Council,

Water End,

Clifton, York.

THE points system by which York council housing is allocated should be changed to give priority to those who contribute to the community, for example, nurses, doctors, refuse collectors, firemen, school and hospital cleaners, and other workers in similar occupations who make a contribution to the community. The givers must be given priority over the takers.

D M Martin,

Fulford Road, York.

I cannot disagree with Stephen von Bertele's assertion that "the individual motorist must take personal responsibility for ensuring their own safety" (January 7).

But City of York Council has a responsibility to assist the motorist in that goal. I drove along the A1237 on the Saturday morning in question, less than an hour before the fatal crash, and the road was treacherous - frighteningly so, in fact.

James Richardson,

Esk Drive,

Nether Poppleton, York.

For two weeks the traffic lights at Clifton Green have been intermittently faulty. It took more than 24 hours for anyone to come out and try to restore the lights, and come 5pm the contractors went home, leaving the lights still not working. York council is hitting residents with a ten per cent rise in council tax but can't pay the overtime to allow the completion of these major repairs

Stephen Higgins,

Beaverdyke,

Clifton, York.

York Civic Trust chairman Darrell Buttery spoke some magic words when he said: "There is a good opportunity on the site to provide a bus station" on the York Central site (January 9). York must be the largest city in England without a bus station. As a main tourist area it must be at the top of York planners' list of new facilities now that space is available.

D J Woodcock,

Meadow Way,

Greenacres,

Huntington,York.

Where does Coun Wilson think that Tadcaster gets its lifeblood from? Let me tell you - LGV vehicles. They transport everything to the shops and they move the rubbish. Drivers appear to be treated worse than lepers or asylum seekers. He would have us all park on the A1 at night.

Brian Anderson,

Transport & General Workers' Union,

Nunnery Lane, York.

Updated: 17:37 Tuesday, January 14, 2003